The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-05-09

falling.ofi 10 due to the fact that no
legal or other surveillance is exer-
cised over the gathering of the gum,
and with the customary improve
dencc of these people, many of the
valuable trees which yield it have
been ruined.
"A thrifty tree, at its first cutting,
ought to yield not less than fifty
pounds of rubber, but the hunters
of to-day find few so protitable-un-
less they penetrate far into the vir-
gin forests and are lucky enough to
discover an entirely new district.
In those sections already worked
most of the trees have been tapped
several times, and many Of them
were spoiled at the outset by having
been cut too young-the greedy
discoverer fearing that il the prize
were left to attain perfection another
might find and secure it.
The milky juice, which plays now
so important d part among the
earth's productions, was first made
known to the world as elastic gum,
and was long afterward given the
name of rubber from the discovery
of its usefulness in rubbing out the
marks of black lead pencils. For
the latter purpose it began to be
imported to Great Britain toward
the close of the last century, and
being much valued by artists, was
sold at high price. Early in 1880
the Spanish conquistedores in
Mexico had learned to make
caoutchouc into shoes, and also
used it for waxing their canvas
cloaks to make them resist water
something as the clothing of the
modern yularo is coated. That, no
doubt, was the origin of the idea of
its manufacture into waterproof
cloth, which first gave it great CON-
mercial Importance. Not until 1920
did its employment begin to extend
much beyond the erasing of pencil
marks, though the quantity import
ed had considerably increased.
Long before that time it had been
used in the manufacture of flexible
tubes for surgeons and chemists,
but the expensive character Of the
only solvent then known prevented
its general application for useful
purposes. Finally a method was
discovered for fabricating articles of
various kinds by casting the
caoutchouc into moids. Its remark
able elasticity and tlexibility, as
well as its insolubility in watef and
impenetrability to gases and fluids
in general, have adapted it to more
uses than any other one article can
be applied. Now by far the great
est variety of its applications is en-
ployed in the vulcanized state-a
process invented only forty-three
or fourty-four years ago-sincc
which time thousands of patents
have been granted for as many diff
ferent applications. Charles Good
year in the United States and
Thomas Hancock in England seem
to have discovered almost simulta-
neously the great changes which
Observation-Disclosures when mixed
with sulphur and heated. AS every.
body knows, the manufacture of
India rubber goods is now one Of
the most extensive industries in the
United States; while in England are
many immense manufactures, and
in France alone the consumption Of
raw caoutchouc is nearly 200, 900
pounds per annum, the approximate
value of which, when manufactured,
is $12,O 100000. Although found in
many countries, India rubber for.
ests are neither numerous nor ex-
tensive, and at the present rate Of
wanton wastefulness in Central Amer
lea the day is not distant when the
product will be extinct in this part
Of the world.-Corr. Providence
journal.